IT was a lovely melancholy night; The Moon, and every star shone bright; When thou didst swear thou wouldst to me be true, And do as I would have thee do: False woman! round my neck thy arms did twine, Inseparable as the elm and vine: Then didst thou swear thy passion should endure To me alone sincere and pure, Till sheep and wolves should quit their enmity, And not a wave disturb the sea. Treacherous Neaera! I have been too kind, But Flaccus can draw off, thou'lt find; He can that face (as thou dost him) forswear, And find (it may be) one as fair: And let me tell thee, when my fury's mov'd, I hate devoutly, as I lov'd. But thou, blest gamester, whosoe'er thou be That proudly dost my drudgery, Didst thou abound in numerous flocks, and land, Wert heir to all Pactolus' sand; Though in thy brain thou bor'st Pythagoras, And carried'st Nereus in thy face, She'd pick another up, and shab thee off, And then 'twill be my turn to laugh. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE STATUE AND THE BUST by ROBERT BROWNING UNDERWOODS: BOOK 2: 16. THE DEAREST FRIENDS ARE THE AULDEST FRIENDS by ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON SONNET by WILLIAM ALEXANDER (1567-1640) IMITATRIX ALES by AULUS LICINIUS ARCHIAS TO ONE IN A HOSTILE CAMP by WILFRID SCAWEN BLUNT THE ENDLESS BATTLE by BERTON BRALEY THE CAGED LION by ANNE MILLAY BREMER ON AN INFANT UNBORN, AND THE MOTHER DYING IN TRAVAIL by WILLIAM BROWNE (1591-1643) |